Growing up on Halsey Avenue in Dallas Mill Village and going to Rison School have good memories for me.

Going to the YMCA on Saturday night for the movies and weekly serials.

Running down to the Union Store for penny candy and a nickel ice cream cone.

Going to Sunday School at 5th Street Baptist Church and Miss Bertie Bowden was my teacher. At Christmastime the church would hand out bags of fruit to the village children.

Going to Rison School and Mr. Fain holding chapel. Some of the teachers were Miss Esslinger, Miss Womack, Mrs. Pullen, and Miss Smithy. I remember the banana popcicles that were sold at recess. They were banana cream with hunks of bananas in them.

Remembering drinking out of the big water fountains in front of the school; the crossing guards to tell you when to cross the street.

Once, they let us bring so many tin cans to get in the Lyric Theater. This was during the war days.

On Saturday, Mama, my sister Ophelene and myself, would ride the bus for 5 cents each uptown. I loved to go in the 5&10 cant stores - Kress's, McClellan's, Woolworth's and Grants'. It was always exciting to see the store windows decorations around the holidays.

Our street was always a very active place with all the family living on the block. There were the family of Neals, Harbins, Gaults, Grays, Gaines, McGinnesses, Knowles, Seatons, Worleys, Tolens and Pattons. There were always children playing on the sidewalk.

I remember when the Royal Crown Bottling Company opened and they handed out three samples to us.

Fun was playing in the big ditch on Rison Avenue.

Also fun was meeting the ice truck to get the chips of ice.

My and my sister getting a permanent at McKay's Beauty Shop once a year.

Eating 10-cent hamburgers and hot dogs at Mullins Café.

Hearing the Joe wheeler train come through every morning at 7:00.

Buying savings bonds at Grants after you had gotten your stamp book full.

Going across the street to visit with Lorene Patton. She was in high school and I thought she was neat.

Now when you do down the street in Dallas Village, everything has changed. You try to picture how it was when you were growing up. But progress has taken over. Even the old cotton mill where our parent worked and sweated out a living is gone. All we have now is our memories.